Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Are You Kidding Me?

I thought about naming this post "Ain't This a Bitch?", but for the sake of Bing and Google searches, I figured this title would be more prudent, and still make my point. As I write this, I'm still shocked at the most recent developments in this Kellwood/Baby Phat/Kimora Lee Simmons situation. I recently started following one of her young supporters and yesterday, she sent a flurry of tweets that alluded to some new crap that Kellwood Company was pulling. But, I was tired and I figured it could wait until today. Oh how I wish I had looked into it last night.

This morning, the angry tweets continued from several of Kimora's young supporters, again obviously upset with Kellwood about something. So, I decided I'd hold my nose and visit the Baby Phat Twitter page to see what all the fuss was about. I gasped the second the page fully loaded when I saw this:

I thought to myself, "they can't be serious." The "new" twitter page. No, that's the old Baby Phat twitter page, you just changed the background image and logo if my memory serves me well. The thing is, I still can't really decide what pisses me off more. The whole "new twitter page" bit or the "new collection that just hit stores and babyphat.com" line. Well, yes I do. It's the new collection that "just hit stores" line.

It's been just over a month since Kimora officially announced that she wasn't going to be heading up Phat Fashions, which includes Baby Phat, anymore. An announcement that she solely made. There has still been no official statement from Kellwood on the matter, and before I go any further, let me let them know that at this point, they can go to hell where a statement is concerned. I mean, what might they say to loyal Baby Phat supporters now, a month later, that is sufficient and truly contrite? Not a damn thing. So, the only thing I'm shooting for now is a full and complete boycott that cripples the brand altogether. You had your chance Kellwood. A statement at this point is like popping a birth control pill after unprotected sex. Too late. You're fu#ked.

So, before I ramble on for too long. This is the short of it. Yesterday, Kellwood had whatever lackey is managing the Baby Phat Twitter page send a tweet with this "big" announcement. That they had a "new" Twitter page, which it isn't, and that a new collection had just hit stores. They managed to take care of all of these things, including reworking the Facebook page, but could not find a spare moment in the past month to properly handle parting ways with Kimora Lee Simmons. Who the HELL do they think we are? A bunch of fools?

No matter who I relay this information to, young and old, the reaction is always one of shock and disgust at Kellwood. I mean the insensitive fashion in which this was all carried out is just shocking to say the least. Kimora and Russell built a powerful brand, a movement, that now spans the globe and would have brought with it a most loyal customer base. No exaggeration, every single day several twitter users (from all over the world) reach out to Kimora so excited about some new Baby Phat store or apparel that they've discovered in their city. The reaction once she graciously tells them that she is no longer with the company is always one of shock and disgust. They always tell her some variation of, "if you're not there anymore, I'm not buying it anymore." This will continue.

To the moms and dads, big sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, grandmas and grandpas who are getting those holiday shopping lists together, whether it be for Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa gifts, do not buy any Baby Phat apparel. The brand is tainted now. Do not support a company that has so little respect for its customer base or for a woman who did so much to make it a brand that you'd even consider supporting. If you want to support Kimora, visit her website, http://www.kls.com/ and check out the number of ways that you can do so. It's too late Kellwood. A song below for those mamas who were planning to pick up some Baby Phat gear for holiday gifts. No respect? No dollars. --Sugar